Chicago man faces arson, hate crime charges after cross burning in Grant Park

A man has been charged in connection with a burning cross that was spotted in Grant Park last week.  Merlin Lu, 21, of Chicago, was charged with felony counts of damage to property between $500 and $10,000, arson, and two felony counts of a hate crime. He also was hit with four misdemeanor counts of disorderly … Read more

Chicago man faces arson, hate crime charges after cross burning in Grant Park

A man has been charged in connection with a burning cross that was spotted in Grant Park last week.  Merlin Lu, 21, of Chicago, was charged with felony counts of damage to property between $500 and $10,000, arson, and two felony counts of a hate crime. He also received four misdemeanor counts for disorderly conduct, reckless … Read more

Man charged with hate crime in cross burning in Chicago park

A 21-year-old man who admitted setting fire to a cross in a Chicago park last week was in custody Wednesday on hate crime charges, Chicago police said. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Merlin Lu was arrested Monday on four felony counts and four misdemeanor counts … Read more

A person is in custody in a Chicago cross burning investigation, police say

CHICAGO — A person is in custody in an investigation of a large cross set on fire in a well-known Chicago park, police said Tuesday. The burning cross was discovered June 9 in Grant Park, where Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation’s first Black president in 2008. A 21-year-old … Read more

Passersby left shocked after burning cross spotted in Grant Park

A strange and what some call disturbing sight in Grant Park on Tuesday — a burning cross. Chicago police spent about three hours investigating the cross burning earlier in the day. Though much information about the incident was not released, the sight here in the public park stirred emotions and shocked many. The flames from … Read more

Police are investigating a large burning cross at a Chicago park

A large, burning cross was discovered at a Chicago park on Tuesday afternoon, and police said they are investigating how it ended up there and the motive behind it. Video taken by a motorist shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, a popular area … Read more